Lucky bags are a feature of the beginning of a new year in Japan. A lucky bag is a sealed package containing many goods, with the bag offered for sale at a lower price than the total value of the goods in it. They have been very popular among Japanese people as New Year merchandise.

Cafes are places where people get together to chat, meet for business, or leisurely spend some time alone. Naturally, different countries have different styles of cafes. In Japan, coffee came from the West in the Edo era (1603-1868),

Michi-no-Eki, rest areas lying along normal roads, are popular spots used by more than 500milion people a year. These spots focus on tourist information and sales of locally produced food, also, many of them are turning into tourist hubs, with hot springs and workshop practice sessions.

One by one, traditional Japanese cake ”Wagashi” sets a seasonal scene.
While the skill of wagashi craftsmen has been handed down throughout the ages and is much cherished, wagashi have also risen to provide shining examples of new challenges.

In the spring of 2013, Kabuki-za has been revived with an entire renewal.While significantly leaving the vestiges of the theater in the past, such as the large tiled roof, the theater has been wonderfully modernized with a high rise building linked to the establishment.

In its birthplace of Japan, karaoke is evolving further, with more advanced karaoke machines harnessing web technologies to broaden the scope for fun, including dubbing of anime scenes and singing duets with strangers.

Sento is an easily accessible public bath in Japan, boasting giant bathtubs. Featuring unique architectural designs and styles of public bathing, sento has been passed down to date as the “culture of the general public.”

In Japan, novelty cafes are popular and constantly opening up because of the diverse nature of consumer demand. These include cafes where you can watch cats and rabbits, or where you can enjoy rakugo storytelling or model railways.

Restaurants in Japan often display tasty-looking food in their windows. These food models are replicas, peculiar to Japan, and surprisingly realistic, produced by expert craftsmen with sophisticated techniques.

Akihabara (also known as Akiba for short) is about synonymous with Japanese subculture and hallowed ground for anime and manga comics and character figures. And there are a number of such spots in Japan other than Akiba.

The personification phenomenon has entered the mainstream of Japanese culture. Cute, humanlike characters have become a vital part of popular culture and a key element in corporate and government public relations.